Event Partner
Rocks & Vines | The Geology of Wine
A Benefit for the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Date & Time
Friday, March 14, 2025
6–9 p.m.
This event is in the past.
Tickets
Join us for an exclusive evening exploring the uniqueness of our region and sipping delicious and local Pursued by Bear wines! You’ll learn what’s special about our soil, how grapes have changed over time, what makes Washington wine different than all other wines, and much more.
Our distinguished panel will lead a discussion and visual presentation, followed by a question-and-answer session, wine tasting, light food, and a chance to mingle.
This event is 21+ with valid ID.
Panel speakers
Kyle MacLachlan is a Yakima, Washington, native and award-winning actor known for his iconic roles in Twin Peaks, Sex and the City, Portlandia, and more recently, Fallout. Kyle’s deep connection to the Pacific Northwest eventually led him to wine. Frequent trips home to visit his father often turned into adventures through Eastern Washington’s backroads — exploring farmsteads, antique shops, and winery tasting rooms. Inspired by the region’s winemaking potential and eager to craft something of his own, Kyle launched Pursued by Bear in 2005, blending his passion for storytelling with a hands-on approach to every detail of the winery, from winemaking to marketing. The wines are made in Walla Walla and can be enjoyed at Pursued by Bear’s tasting room in downtown Walla Walla.
Dan Wampfler brings over 20 years of award-winning Washington winemaking experience from Washington to his craft. A Michigan native, he studied brewing, food science, horticulture, and viticulture at Michigan State before earning a master’s degree in enology. His Washington wine career started at Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, followed by a position at Dunham Cellars, where he met Kyle MacLachlan. In 2008, Dan became a winemaker for Pursued by Bear, shaping its signature style with a focus on balance, purity, and a sense of place—a role he continues today while also leading Abeja, the renowned Walla Walla winery he joined in 2016. In addition to his work as co-winemaker at Abeja, Dan is Abeja’s general manager, overseeing the winery’s estate vineyards, sales distribution, private events, and hospitality at The Inn at Abeja.
Dr. Paige Wilson Deibel is the Burke Museum's paleobotany collections and lab manager. Paige manages more than 75,000 plant and fossil specimens, including macrofossils (i.e., leaves, fruits, wood) and microfossils (i.e., pollen and phytoliths) as well as modern reference collections. This means that Paige is responsible for the physical organization and care of fossil specimens, as well as the digital resources and database needs of the collection. She also manages the safety, protocols, and chemical inventories of the paleobotany laboratory spaces at the Burke Museum.
Nick Zentner is an academic who works as a geology professor at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Wash. Outside of his work with the university, he is known for his online videos covering the geology of the Northwestern United States and his series, Nick on the Rocks.
